I solve throat and voice problems from the viewpoint of a kineticist.

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Monthly Archives: January 2016

A hoarse voice can either sound noisy or attractive, each which (style of sound) depends on how the resonance chamber is being used.
I asked 25 people, who at that time, had a hoarse voice.
1.Bad voice…15
2.Good voice…4
3.Neither one…6
Results conclude, the majority of people thought the hoarse voice had a negative or bad sound to it.
In fact, the hoarse voice was harder to listen to and made conversation difficult.
However the degree of hoarseness is also a considerate factor. A slight hoarse voice is attractive for singing, and a lot of Jazz or Blues singers have a slightly hoarse voice.
The husky sounding voice is relevant to leaking air.
It is important to understand and know how to use the resonance chamber.
If you don’t resonate your voice in your resonance chamber, the hoarse voice just becomes unappealing noise.
There are 2 conditions needed to overcome a hoarse voice and have an attractive voice.
(1)Being able to control leaking air
(2)You have to properly utilize your resonance chamber, especially the pharyngeal cavity.
Note:The hoarse voice happens mainly when the vocal fold does not close perfectly, and air is leaking in the space of the glottis in turn obstructing the ability to vibrate the vocal fold.
There could be several reasons why a person could have a hoarse voice, they are as follows:
1)Vocal nodule or Recurrent nerve palsy
2)Inborn/Hereditary
3)Voice abuse
4)Muscle weakness surrounding the muscles needed to close the glottis
5)The lesser horn of cartilage is pressured due to LDP resulting in difficulty opening the glottis easily.

I will explain what are the differences between LDP of a hoarse voice and chorditis vocalis.
In the case of a hoarse voice, the glottis is opened by the pressured arytenoid cartilago corniculata, which causesLDP.
In the case of chorditis vocalis, the glottis is opened by a swollen vocal fold, because the vocal fold is inflamed.
These differences in how the glottis is opening are what produces different voice quality between the two conditions.
A brief description regarding the differences in sound and quality: A hoarse voice is when the glottis is forcibly opened, and a normal voice is mixed with leaking air. Conversely, the chorditis vocalis is when the vocal fold gets heavy and makes a low voice which is usually mixed with leaking air.

Note1:A hoarse voice can refer to a husky or even cracked voice. If the vocal fold does not close when exhaling, then it (the vocal fold) cannot vibrate properly, and the air cannot be converted to the voice effectively to make it sound normal and clear.
However, a moderate hoarse voice can become an attractive husky or cracked voice, if the amount of air leaked is minimal or at a low degree.

Note2:Hypertonic vocalization closely relates to LDP (Larynx Deep Position). Most of people have hypertonic vocalization with LDP, but LDP mentions the position of the larynx and commonly combined with displaying habitual straining of the throat muscles.
When we talk or sing with tension or nervousness, it is possible that only muscles are strained around the larynx, not a changed position of the larynx, which is why it is concluded to be to hypertonic vocalization.